? for Cuda

[yeller]

Got a tile related question and hoping you could help me out. I'm putting slate tile in the shower and need to seal it. HD sells tile/grout sealer, but the good stuff is $80/qt. Then I was walking through the paint section and saw the Thompsons sealer. Do I really need the big $ stuff? What about using the Thompsons brick/concrete sealer?

[Cuda]

I use Thompson'a in the red can (multipurpose) all the time on pavers. I used to use a tile sealer that was $25 a gallon, until I found the T sealer works as well.

[yeller]

Thanks Cuda. I'm going to give it a try. I just can't see why the specific tile/grout sealer is worth over 10x's the price of Thompson's. :confused: The're both sealers, both with the same warranty, designed for basically the same material. The only real diff I can tell, is the packaging.

[yeller]

When I posed this question to the guy at HD, he said the Thompsons wouldn't last in a shower, mainly because of the hot water. When I got home, it dawned on me to contact Thompsons directly. :bonk: They confirmed that it wouldn't hold up in a shower.

[DonziDave]

What Thompson told you makes sense...Their wood deck sealer is just a liquid wax product that sits on the surface and does not penetrate. The paver/concrete sealer is probably a similar formula. Not to mention "slippery when wet"...!!!

[Cuda]

I can tell you for a fact that Thompson's doesn't sit on top like a wax, but you cannot use it on a glazed tile, or porcelain tile. I'd go ahead and try it on the slate. I doubt your shower water is hotter than wet pavers out in the Florida sunshine all day. If it doesn't work, you've only got 10 buck invested. Whatever you do, DO NOT use Home Depots Eco something or other sealer. That stuff is absolute crap. Check at a tile store who carries Aqua Mix products. The Aqua Mix Gold is a very good sealer, but too pricey for what I do. I think it was about $70 a gallon. I needed about a pint of it when I bought it, that was years ago, and I probably still have the rest out in my garage somwhere. It was so expensive, I can't bring myself to use it.:eek!:

[Cuda]

Whatever you use, make sure it's a penetrating sealer. Home Depot sells a sealer called 1088 Agg sealer, but it sits on top, and the tile must be completely dry, or it will fog up. The agg sealer will also run you plumb out of your house. :eek!:

[motorcity]

Lowe's carries Aqua Mix. You may want to try the Stone Enhancer, it has a sealer in it and will bring out the color in the Slate also. I used it on some stone on a fireplace I just had installed an was very pleased with the results.Aqua mix are very good products, also anothe brand is Stone Tech.